In NASCAR, a driver’s name and crew chief’s reputation often go hand in hand, with the car’s speed directly tied to how well they sync up. Even the sharpest crew chief can look like the weak link if the driver hits a rough patch, turning fans against them overnight. That dynamic played out with Martin Truex Jr. and his former crew chief, James Small, where blame shifted quickly amid underwhelming results. But now, with Small calling shots for Chase Briscoe in the No. 19 Toyota at Joe Gibbs Racing, eyes are opening to a different story.

Briscoe’s season has rolled out strong, with two wins, 12 top-5s, and 15 top-10s, and a solid P9 at the Bristol race helped him to sit sixth in the Round of 12 playoffs with a 10-point cushion above the cutline. Those numbers force a rethink on past judgmen

See Full Page